Warming up: Cashman, Yankees links, and Spring Training, baby!

For starters: More than four months after Curtis Granderson recorded the final out in Houston to end the Yankees' 2013 season, the Bombers are back on the field, doing baseball activities as a team for the first time in 2014. The new baseball season is upon us!

And with that comes a boatload of questions that need to be answered. We've asked a lot of them over the past couple of weeks here on the blog, but won't get answers for most of them until the spring is over.

This next question fall into the pile of ones that we won't know until the next offseason: is Brian Cashman in his final season as Yankees General Manager?

Entering the final year of his contract, my gut feeling is no, this won't be his last season, but a lot can between now and the next six or seven months.

Regardless of what many raging Yankees fans think, Cashman has been one of the better GM's in the game for more than a decade. He's always helped make sure that the Yankees are putting the best product on the field -- it's not his fault that he couldn't spend money last winter -- and for the most part, he's done a good job of doing that.

This offseason in particular, with the go-ahead from Hal Steinbrenner, he committed almost $500 million to Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran and Masahiro Tanaka.

This kind of spending spree is exactly what Yankees fans wanted, but if it doesn't work out, and those players turn out to be flops, then Cashman will be the man they blame. Unrightfully so, but it'll do down that way, regardless.

But Hal is not the kind of guy to point the finger and play the blame-game. He's not his father, rather to fire someone without hesitation.

It would take an absolutely terrible season from the Yankees to keep him from coming back. As long as the Yankees are able to get back to the playoffs after missing for the second time in two decades, the Hal won't have any trouble bringing Cashman back.

If he even wants to come back.....

Yankees links worth sharing:

* ESPNNewYork.com's Wallace Matthews wrote a post about Jeter being able to take a nice victory lap around the league in 2014 -- one that he truly deserves.

* Alex Rodriguez really wanted to be a member of the Boston Red Sox, and he almost was until the Players' Union stopped a trade from the Texas Rangers from ever happening, leaving to him eventually being traded to the Yankees. This ESPN 30for30 documents those events in the 2003-2004 offseason.

* A lot like the questions that have been asked by my this spring, including the one above, Matthews came up with 12 burning questions for the Yankees that need to be answered at some point.

* Another from ESPN New York: Ian O'Connor writes that making Tanaka out to be a "solid, consistent No. 3 starter" is not what the Yankees should be doing. They need him to be an ace, and very soon.

* Tanaka won't be the only Japanese star coming to spring training with the Yankees this year, as Hideki Matsui has accepted an invitation to be a guest instructor, reports the NY Post. That'll be a fun time.

Today's warmup song: "Enter Sandman" by Metallica. Just for old times sake, you know. I wanted to go with something else, but it just had to be done.

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Gavin Ewbank is the Lead Writer of Yanks Beat Blog, and you can follow him on Twitter (below).

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Prospects that just miss the Top 40 list

That's Tyler Wade, about the slap a tag down (I think).

I have recently begun working on the system's top 40 prospects, and realized that are several prospects that I really liked but haven't done enough to earn a spot on the list. This article will give a brief overview on those players. These players are all noteworthy and have a good chance to make future organization rankings.

SS Tyler Wade, 19: Wade was considered the fourth best ss prospect in the Yankees GCL league, but that isn't to say he doesn't have promising potential. Wade showed good hitting ability in his first season in the GCL with an OBP of .429, But he will need to grow into more power. Most of Wade's hits last year were singles, so he would have to bulk up to even be a doubles hitter.

Besides for his low power potential Wade seems to be a well rounded player, as he has decent speed, he stole 11 bases in his debut, and he is a good defender. With that combination of tools it's possible he becomes a good prospect even without power. With that said he is only 19 and still has time to add muscle. It isn't clear where he will start in 2014, but Staten Island seems like a good bet.

LHP Daniel Camarena, 21: Camarena was an over-slot signing in 2011, as the lefty was paid $335,000 to break his college commitment. Camarena is currently a three pitch pitcher (fastball, curveball, and changeup) and has great command and control. Camarena only walked 19 batters in 112 innings last year. If his fastball was just a little bit harder, he would have an extraordinary ceiling, as both of his secondary pitches are plus pitches. His fastball rarely reaches 90-91, and generally sits in the 86-89 range.

Camarena will begin the 2014 season in Tampa, and if he develops another offering, or gains another mile or two on his fastball he will really fly through the system. Hopefully, he continues to perform the way he was in the second half of last season, because the Yankees could really use a big breakout season from a lefty starter.

OF Leonardo Molina, 16: Molina was the Yankees big international free agent signing last year, and is thought to have the best raw tools in his class. His 6.49 60 yard dash makes him one of the systems fastest prospects. This plus speed translates well on defense, as Molina has great range in center. His bat is a bit more questionable, but he should become a good hitter, and at least have doubles power in the future. We will learn much more about this young player as spring training comes to an end and he is assigned to a team. He will either start in the GCL or DSL.

LHP Evan Rutckyj 22: Rutckyj is a 6-foot-5, 213-pound left handed pitcher out of Ontario, Canada. Rutckyj was a two sport athlete in Canada, as he was also a hockey player. He hadn't even become a full time baseball pitcher until he was seventeen years old. The Yankees knew they had a project on their hands and so far Rutckyj has been a bit underwhelming. However, he does throw hard, and has two decent secondary pitches (a slider and a changeup). If he could fix his control problems he would become a major success story for the system.

RHP Jairo Heredia 24: Heredia is kind of a forgotten prospect at this point. This partly due to missing the entire 2012 season and spending a good portion of 2013 recovering from his shoulder surgery. Heredia has a good three pitch combo. He throws a fastball, a curveball, and a changeup. He once had a very good curveball, fastball combination, though he may have lost some velocity due to his shoulder problems. If he is finally healthy he should begin the season in AA, and could quickly put himself back onto the prospect map.

RHP Joey Maher 21, LHP Chaz Hebert 21, RHP Jordan Cote 21: I feel that these players are all similar in the sense that put up good numbers, or show glimpses of talent, but they're developing relatively slowly. I feel that Maher is the best of this group, but anyone of these players could breakout next season. The biggest challenge this trio will face is playing time, as they are bit old for the NYPL, but are too inexperienced for the sally league.

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Josh Sabo is a Minor League writer for Yanks Beat Blog.

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Spring Training position battles: The bullpen

This is when life after Mariano Rivera really ends. The closer role is expected to be filled by David Robertson, but everything is up for grabs in the Yankees' bullpen as spring training begins.

There will be more than enough relievers in camp for the Yankees this spring, but being able to find the right guys will be no easy challenge. As of right now, only Robertson, Shawn Kelley, Matt Thornton, and likely Preston Claiborne have secured jobs in the bullpen for this season.

Like I said before, Robertson is almost certainly going to be the closer. At least that's what comments from Hal Steinbrenner, Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi have suggested.

Kelley is the front-running, for the time being, to be Robertson's 8th inning setup man. He proved to be a valuable arm for the Yankees last season after finally working his way back from two Tommy John surgeries. If he can handle the 8th like he handled the 6th and 7th innings last season, then he won't have any problem being the setup man.

Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances have a chance to play important roles in the Bronx this summer.

If Betances is able to control his pitches, and be the pitcher that he was projected to be, the Yankees can finally get everything out of him that they have been hoping for. And who know's, he might be abel to work himself into the setup man role by the end of the season.

As for Banuelos, though he projects to be a middle-of-the-rotation start in the majors some day, there is actually a chance that he can make the Yankees' Opening Day roster as the second lefty out of the bullpen. If the Yankees really like what they see from him, and his arm returns to normal after the Tommy John, they could say "what the hell, let's him him to Houston with us."

I'm not really a fan of this plan, in particaular. I would prefer that they start him in Triple-A and let him work his way back as the starter he could be one day. If he doesn't work out as a starter again, then you can make the decision to move him to the bullpen, just as they did with Betances.

Jose Campos and Cesar Cabral are two more young guys that can play important roles in the big league bullpen this year.

I would think that the runner-up for the fifth rotation spot will be moved into the bullpen as the long-reliever. Or the Yankees could just pencil in Adam Warren for this job because he pitched pretty well in long-relief last season. Maybe even Vidal Nuno, too, if the Yankees liked him as much as I did when be debuted last year.

Matt Daley, Chris Leroux and Mark Montgomery are three non-roster players that could have a chance to make the 25-man roster. Montgomery came close to winning a bullpen job last spring, but an injury killed that chance.

Because there are s many spot open for the taking, the bullpen competition will be one of the more interesting to watch this spring.

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Gavin Ewbank is the Lead Writer of Yanks Beat Blog, and you can follow him on Twitter (HERE).

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Derek Jeter retiring marks the end of a great era

We knew this day was coming. It was just a matter of when. It turned out to be Wednesday, and now the clock is ticking on one of the greatest Yankees to ever play the game.

Derek Jeter announced via Facebook -- something that didn't even exist when he debuted in 1995 -- that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2014 season, finally bringing us to the end of an era, one that many of us only know, and will never forget.

This will be Jeter's 20th season with the Yankees. This will also be my 18th year on this earth. Ever since I became a fan of baseball and a fan of the Yankees, Derek Jeter has always been there. On my television, on my computer, or on my phone; wherever I've watched Yankees game over the past eight years.

He's the player that kids, coaches, and even fellow teammates look up to, and the kind of person that everyone wants to be.

Unlike Alex Rodriguez, Jeter wasn't born with natural talents and great instincts for the game. But what he lacked in talent, he made up for with hard work. Lots, and lots of hard work.

Regardless of the game, the setting, the situation, the opponent; whether he was sick, injured, aching, or ailing, Jeter took the field, and gave it all he got.

After the announcement, I took a lot of time to think things over before writing this. I watched the comments on Twitter, and listened to the reactions of former players, teammates, managers and general managers on the radio and on TV. Not a single bad thing to say about the game. Every comment and tweet making him look even better as a player and more respected as a person than the last.

I'm really going to miss the days when he's not on the club. Not in the lineup. Not in the field.

History has shown in the past the you can replace a great ballplayer, but you can replace a legend like Jeter. It'll be years before the Yankees find someone to take over as the face of their franchise. Robinson Cano was in line to be that guy, but he chose money over history and signed with the Seattle Mariners.

CC Sabathia? No. Mark Teixeira? No. Brian McCann, Masahiro Tanaka or Jacoby Ellsbury? No, no, and no. None of them are the leader, player and person that Jeter is.

Turning 40 this summer, Jeter will be able to put himself on the long list of Yankees players that not only did things the right way, but will end things the way he wants to, on his own terms; joining the likes of Babe Ruth through Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte.

Sadly enough, I'll never get the chance to cover Jeter on a daily basis, but being able to watch him play for almost a decade is good enough to me.

Five world championships, 12 all-star appearances, over 3,300 hits, and a careers worth of great moments that will never slip my mind.

The Yankees are coming into spring training this year without Mariano River for the first time in two decades, and his absence will be felt heavily in the bullpen for at least this season, and the next few years down the road, unless David Robertson fills the closer role well. And this time next season, the Yankees will show up to spring training without Derek Jeter for the first time in my life.

I can't imagine what like was like before 1995, but in a just a year, I'm going to find out. Brace yourselves, life without The Captain is coming.

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Gavin Ewbank is the Lead Writer of Yanks Beat Blog, and you can follow him on Twitter (below).

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Report: Yankees have verbal agreements with mutiple international players

Because people were essentially stealing his information, Kile McDaniel has released key details about the 2014 international free agent class.

(A link to McDaniel's story can be found here: http://sbb.scout.com/2/1375072.html.)

The Yankees may spend up to $20 million on this year's international free-agent class. According to Kiley they are thought to have deals with: 3B Dermis Garcia, 3B Nelson Gomez, OF Juan De Leon, OF  Jonathan Amundaray, SS Chris Torres, and SS Diego Castillo. In total, the contracts to these players would add up to about $12 million. 

The position of this class is essentially four shortstops, but Kiley feels that Garcia and Gomez are more likely to play third base. This isn't a bad thing, as the Yankees have a need for both positions. The Yankees will have room for these players, as they have two DSL and two GCL teams. Hopefully all these players are talented enough to begin there careers in the GCL in 2015, but there's no way of knowing that right now.

The Yankees are expected to spend even more money in this years 2014 class. And according to @Yankeesource, an international scout's twitter account, the Yankees also have a verbal agreement with prospect Ricardo Rodriguez. Rodriguez is a catcher, and is thought to have good power. It's possible that Rodriguez is a part of the Yankees second wave, but it has not been confirmed by McDaniel. 

At the moment fans have to be happy with the way the Yankees have enacted their strategy, the whole second wave strategy allows them to sign late bloomers that weren't great prospects when the team signed their first six prospects. 

Hopefully the Yankees have made the right choices and find some cheap talent in their second wave. At this point the team has yet to sign any pitchers, and that should change before the year ends.

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 Josh Sabo is a Minor League writer for Yanks Beat Blog.

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Derek Jeter announces 2014 will be his last season

Derek Jeter has announced on Facebook that 2014 will be his last season in professional baseball with the New York Yankees, and he will be retiring next offseason.

"The 2014 season will be my last year playing professional baseball," the Yankees captain said in a 15-paragraph note on the social media site.

“Derek called me this morning to tell me that he planned to retire following the season." Yankees general managing partner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement. "In our conversation, I told him that I respected his decision because I know he put a lot of thought into it. I also let him know that I thought it was great that he was letting fans know now so they will have a chance to say goodbye to him.

"He is unquestionably one of the greatest Yankees ever. He has meant so much to fans, the organization, my father and our family. I’m glad we have this year to celebrate everything he has meant to us and all the great things he still stands to accomplish.”

Jeter will be leaving the game just one year after the Yankees had to say goodbye to a pair of Jeter's long-time teammates, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte. For the second straight year, a season-long farewell tour will follow Jeter and the Yankees everywhere they go.



Jeter, who will turn 40 in July, signed a one-year, $12 million contract with the Yankees this past offseason. Up until this point, the word coming from Jeter's camp was that no decision on his future had yet been made.

“Derek Jeter has been a great representative of what the Yankees have stood for over the years." Joe Girardi said in a statement. "He has been a team player who has only cared about winning. He has also been a fine example both on and off the field over his long tenure as a Yankee. It has been a real pleasure to manage him and play alongside him.”

He broke into the majors with the Yankees in 1995 when he was also named Rookie of the Year, and has since won five World Series championships, has been named to the American League all-star team twelve times, and was named Captain of the Yankees in 2003.

“It has been an incredible honor having a front row seat for one of the great players of all time." Brian Cashman said in a statement. "Derek has been a winner every step of the way. I am already looking forward to an exciting final chapter of his storied career.”

A no-doubt Hall of Famer, Jeter will retire as the Yankees' all-time leader in games played, at-bats, hits and stolen bases.

"In the 21-plus years in which I have served as Commissioner, Major League Baseball has had no finer ambassador than Derek Jeter," Bud Selig said in a statement. "Since his championship rookie season of 1996, Derek has represented all the best of the National Pastime on and off the field. He is one of the most accomplished and memorable players of his -- or any -- era."

Jeter also went on in his Facebook to thanks "the Boss, the Steinbrenner family, the entire Yankees organization" as well as managers, coaches, teammates, friends, family and the fans.

"I will remember it all: the cheers, the boos, every win, every loss, all the plane trips, the bus rides, the clubhouses, the walks through the tunnel and every drive to and from the Bronx. I have achieved almost every personal and professional goal I have set. I have gotten the very most out of my life playing baseball, and I have absolutely no regrets."

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Gavin Ewbank is the Lead Writer of Yanks Beat Blog, and you can follow him on Twitter (below).

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Spring Training position battles: Third base

Brian Cashman pretty much said it best Tuesday after Masahiro Tanaka's introductory press conference in New York, calling the Yankees' third base situation heading into spring training “Kelly Johnson and a cast of characters.”

Well, he's certainly not wrong. In fact, “Kelly Johnson and a cast of characters" is exactly how I would describe the third base situation.

The Yankees signed Johnson a couple of days before Robinson Cano left the Bronx and signed his monster contract with the Seattle Mariners, and though it seemed like he would come into came looking to win the newly vacated starting second base job, Johnson appears to be the frontrunner to be the starting third baseman on Opening Day for the Yankees.

Johnson won't being much with his glove, or hit for a high batting average, but he is capable of playing third base everyday, while also giving the Yankees some power from the left side.

Ideally, you'd like to have someone with better fielding glove, and it's possible that the Yankees could keep someone in the roster that can also play third -- like Scott Sizemore, Eduardo Nunez or Dean Anna -- and platoon him with Johnson.

I think that this will be Johnson's job to lose at this point, with there really being no other options, I also believe that Sizemore could be in the best position to win a bench spot as the backup at third base.

Sizemore is still trying to work his way back after tearing his ACL twice in the last 24 months, and if he's able to come back at full-strength, he can actually be a useful player for the Yanks off of the bench.

Like a lot of the player infielders trying to win roster spots, Sizemore can play multiple positions, with most of his time having been spent at third and second base. While I think that he can also compete for the second base job, we'll most likely see him spending his spring at third base while the Yankees try to find the best possible fit there.

Too many people, in my opinion, believe Eduardo Nunez should be given a real chance to win the job. While I wouldn't completely write him off yet, I really don't think that Nunez can win the starting job. He would need to have a pretty good spring in order to even get a spot on the Opening Day roster.

I won't deny that fact that Nunez is talented and has the ability to play very well, but he makes too many mistakes that make you overlook his real capabilities.

He had a great chance to make a name for himself last year when he started the season as the Yankees' starting shortstop while Derek Jeter was working back from his ankle injury. But Nunez when on the DL in May with a rib injury and stayed on the shelf until July. He went on a pretty decent run after returning, but there still doesn't seem to be too much confidence in him as the spring begins.

Unless the Yankees suddenly sign Stephen Drew, this is going to be the group fighting to replace Alex Rodriguez while he serves his season-long suspension. It's not going to be the most entertaining competition to watch, but it's going to be one you'll need to keep an eye on.

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Gavin Ewbank is the Lead Writer for Yanks Beat Blog, and you can follow him on Twitter (below).

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Looking ahead, optimistically, at the Yankees' 2015 Top 10 prospects

Recently over on the Lohud Yankees blog, Chad Jennings wrote an interesting article on the Yankees farm system. Instead of focusing on what the farm looks like right now, Jennings created a top 10 list for next season.

The purpose of this was to show the best case scenario for the system; if the system performed perfectly this is what their farm system would look like. I found this concept very appealing and decided to make my own version of it. This is obviously a very optimistic look at the system, as prospects are not this predictable, consider this piece the Yankees brightest timeline.

1. Gary Sanchez:

The best case scenario for Sanchez would be to continue to make progress defensively. He has a golden opportunity to learn the position in spring training, as he'll get the chance to be mentored by Tony Pena, and Joe Girardi. Pena is noted for improving the pitch framing abilities of many Yankee catchers.Sanchez already throws out runners at a high clip, so if he learns to frame pitches he might be an above average defender.

Hopefully he exits spring training with this knowledge. That way he can focus on his offensive game during the season.Sanchez always puts up good offensive numbers, especially when you consider his age and the parks he plays in. But it would really benefit his stock if he could cut down on some of his strikeouts and walk a bit more. His defense was well bellow average a few seasons ago, so you have to wonder how much time he devoted to getting to where he is and how that hindered his offensive game.

2. Manny Banuelos:

Banuelos stock has dropped over the past two seasons, due to the fact that he has been out of action with an injury. While I do feel it will take him a while to readjust, I don't think Tommy John surgery will diminish his ability. After all at he was once thought to be a top 50 prospect. If he could return to form, the Yankees would have one best offensive and pitching prospect combinations in baseball. Of course he would have to work on his control, but in general he has great potential.

Jennings had these players in reverse order, this makes sense because Banuelos returning to form would be very good for the system. However, I feel that even if he returns to form Sanchez should be ranked higher, because he has MVP potential. If these two players perform to their abilities and show they can reach their ceilings, the Yankees could have two top 40 prospects.

3. Mason Williams:

Williams was a consensus top 50 prospect a year ago, and can realistically get back there with a good year. Like Jennings I agree with the idea that Slade would easily be in this spot, but if everyone is playing up to their capabilities, and injuries no longer really exist than Slade should be in the majors.

With that said if he rebounds, Mason would be a great number three prospect. To redeem himself  he show up to spring training in good shape a work on his hitting approach. If Mason does these two things he will be able to live up to his initial comparison to Jacoby Ellsbury. It is unclear whether or not he will hit for power for this fictional scenario, as scouts have downgraded his power potential. 

4. Aaron Judge:

Judge is an interesting prospect as he has yet to perform up to his full ability.. This is fortunate for the Yankees, because if he had done so in college,  he would've never fallen so far in the draft. Keith Law recently stated that he is a future top 25 prospect talent.Even with a great season next year, I do not see him getting ranked that high but I do feel it is possible for him to crack some top 100 lists. The best case scenario is for Judge to begin the year in High-A, and show his power potential right away. This would make him a possible midseason call-up to AA.

It might not seem ideal to have zero infield prospects at this point, but I want to make this article at least semi-realistic. The top four players on the list all have a legitimate shot at being top 100 players next year. That would easily change the perception of this system. Last year they had 3 or 4 top 100 guys and were considered an above average system. Furthermore this top 4 would be better regarded, as three of these players can be top 50 prospects.

5. Rafael De Paula:

De Paula had a very interesting season last year, as he dominated A-Ball and really struggled in High-A. At the midpoint of the season he was considered a top 50 prospect, but after the season some questioned if he could ever be a starter. The best case scenario for De Paula is to begin the 2014 season in High-A, and quickly show that he can, in fact, throw strikes. Additionally, he would also need to work on his secondary pitches.

 6. Jose Ramirez:

Ramirez could realistically be placed into this slot even if he moves to the pen, as he would be an elite relief prospect. However, since this is a best case scenario article, he will be considered a starter. This would mean starting the year in AAA, and not getting injured.

If he finally becomes a durable starter in 2014, he will be a great addition to this list. He has a great fastball and changeup combination, but his slider still needs to improve. If everything goes perfectly he will not need to be called up to the majors and can spend the entire season in AAA, becoming a top prospect. Even with such a year he would probably not make the top 100 list as a starter, as he doesn't have the greatest track record.

Jennings had De Puala ranked number three because he felt the team would benefit from having another top of the rotation arm raked in the top 5. I agree with that logic, but still think high cieling hitters are worth more than high ceiling pitchers. I also don't think De Puala can realistically be  ranked higher on top 100 lists next year than the players ranked above him.

But I do agree that the Yankees need high end pitchers in their top 10 list, which is why both he and Ramirez are ranked where they are. If both pitchers prove they're starters next season the Yankees system will have a great combination of near MLB ready pitching and hitting prospects.

Tyler Austin would have been ranked 6th, but I feel that the Yankees may need him in the majors at some point. Also I do feel he will become more versatile. The Yankees want him to be able to play third and in this timeline he is capable of doing so. Even if he is below average at third, there is a good chance the Yankees play him there, because they don't have the greatest options at the moment.

7. Eric Jagielo:

Jagielo was the safest Yankee draft pick in sometime, but lacks the upside of some of the above players. But he does fill a big need and has a lot of potential. The best case scenario for Jagielo is pretty realistic, when compared to players like Judge and Ramirez.

He should start the year in High-A and prove that he can play the position. People really don't question the bat, and assuming he becomes a passable defender at third the Yankees should get a very productive player.

8. Angelo Gumbs:

Gumbs performing up to his capabilities would be a huge boost to this system. He would most probably begin the year in A+, and earn a promotion to AA in the middle of the season. If Gumbs finally takes advantage of his extraordinary tools the Yankees would have a realistic replacement for Robinson Cano sometime in 2016. While that may seem like a long time to wait, it would be worth it if Gumbs develops perfectly.

Gumbs and Jagielo may not be top 100 players next season but their development is crucial for the Yankees future. The Yankees need all the infield help they can get, and these two players can turn a systems weakness into a strength. Jagielo would certainly move through the system faster than Gumbs but they both can move quickly if they perform to their full potential next season.

9. Bryan Mitchell:

The only reason that Mitchell isn't higher is that I don't know if he can realistically tone down his walks. If he does, then  he would another interesting upper-minor pitching prospect. Mitchell has two plus pitches: a curveball and a fastball. He also is developing a changeup in this ideal scenario he would have to perfect a third pitch,whether or not that's his changeup doesn't really matter. Hopefully Gil Patterson is able to reach him, because he has a lot of potential.

10. Greg Bird:

I feel that Bird is a good player to end this list on, because we know what kind of player he is capable of being. If he continues to develop defensively and proves that he really does have power, he will be much higher on this list. But his ranking here is under the assumption that his critics are right when they question his power potential. 

Another reason he is only ranked 10th, is that first base prospects are always a little underrated and if he is going to be underrated in prospect graders eyes he should be underrated here as well. I do feel that he has a lot of potential but for now it makes sense to rank him at 10th.

The last two spots on this could really go to a lot of different players, but I felt that best case scenario for the Yankee system was to have every single member of their top ten prospects be in AA or above by the end of next season. In truth this isn't entirely unrealistic, as the team does have 5 current/former top 100 players in AA and above, and guys like Slade and Austin could still be ranked. But chances are a player from A-ball or High-A will make the list next year.

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Josh Sabo is a Minor League writer for Yanks Beat Blog.

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Masahiro Tanaka: “I’m very happy to be a Yankee.”

With spring training just a few days away, the Yankees finally had the chance to unveil their big, $155 million signing in Masahiro Tanaka Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, in front of more than 200 media members.

The press conference was the largest media gathering that the Yankees have hosted since introducing Hideki Matsui in 2003, surpassing Alex Rodriguez's presser in 2003.

“This is big, this is something I was thinking as I drove in today, this would make The Boss proud,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “This is Yankee big, this is Steinbrenner big. We’re really excited to welcome the newest Yankee, officially, to the family.”

Donning his new No. 19 jersey for the first time, Tanaka opened up by saying, in English, “Hello, my name is Masahiro Tanaka, I’m very happy to be a Yankee.”

The rest for the press conference was done through his translator.

Tanaka, a 24-year-old right-hander that when 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA in Japan with the Rakuten Golden Eagles last season, said that his main goal with the Yankees is to win a championship.

“I’m very much looking forward to playing in that environment,” Tanaka said, referring the the Yankees-Red Sox games that he said he has watched on TV.

He added: “I’ve heard this place could be very harsh to you at times. I just wanted to see where I can get to with my ability.”

Though Tanaka wouldn't comment on the bids of other teams, it's pretty obvious that the Yankees' bid of $155 million over seven-years was greater than that of the other bidders. Adding in his $20 million posting fee, the Yankees are spending $175 million on the guy.

"We needed another quality starter," general manager partner Hal Steinbrenner said. "Tanaka is one of the greatest in the history of Japan."

He'll now be joining that rotation, likely as the No. 3 starter, behind guys like CC Sabathia and fellow countryman Hiroki Kuroda.

Last week, Cashman said on ESPN Radio that Tanaka could be a very solid No. 3 starter.

Steinbrenner was asked if that would be worth the $155 million.

"It is a projection," Steinbrenner said.

“He was a player that we covered, and I am thankful as a manager Hal and his family opened their pocketbooks for us to be able to sign Masahiro." Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He’s a great pitcher, and he obviously is here with us for a long time, and we’re very, very excited.”

Tanaka will join the Yankees in Tampa by Friday, when pitchers and catchers are due to report, with the first workout happening on Saturday.

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Gavin Ewbank is the Lead Writer of Yanks Beat Blog, and you can follow him on Twitter (below).

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Spring Training position battles: Second base

I never thought I would have to say this, but the Yankees will be holding auditions this spring to find a starting baseman for the first time in a long time. Sadly, the list of candidates are not great, and if it hasn't already sunk in, we're not going to see anyone putting up Robinson Cano-type numbers at second base this season.

Unless the Yankees add another infielder, via a sign or trade, they'll come into camp with five players that I see have the best chances to win the job.

Right now, those five players are Brian Roberts, Kelly Johnson, Dean Anna, Corban Joseph and Scott Sizemore, with Roberts being the favorite.

A lot like the battle for the fifth starter job, you would think that whoever wins the job is playing well enough to keep it once the season gets going. But even though I think that Roberts will be the second base job, that doesn't mean he will go unchallenged.

It probably won't be from Johnson, who is expected to handle most of the third base duties for the Yankees this season. Joseph is still young, and has room to grow. He can be a decent second baseman down the road, but he's better off in the minors to start the year. And though Sizemore is capable of playing the position, I think that most of his spring will be spent at third base, too.

Anna, though, is the real sleeper in all of this. He is the player that you'll want to watch for this spring.

Why Anna? The 26-year-old spent last season with Triple-A Tucson in the Padres organization, where he hit .331 with 90 runs, 38 doubles, 9 homeruns and 73 RBIs in 132 games. He saw time at second base, shortstop, third base and in left field.

Being an above-average left-handed hitter with the ability to play around the diamond gives him a very good chance to make the Yankees' 25-man roster out of Spring Training.

When making the case for Roberts, you can count the fact that he's a former all-star second baseman. If he can just stay healthy -- and that is a major "if" -than he can be pretty good player for the Yankees, both in the field and at the plate. But I wouldn't get my hopes up over a guy that has barely seen the field in the last three years.

We could also have situation in which both Roberts and Anna are on the team, splitting time at second base. That is a situation that could help Roberts stay healthy. Actually, any situation where Roberts doesn't have to be in the lineup everyday is probably good for him.

Either way, no matter how you see things, this will certainly be one of the most interesting out of the five position battles to watch this spring. Life without Cano officially begins next week when the full squad starts practicing.


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Gavin Ewbank is the Lead Writer of Yanks Beat Blog, and you can follow him on Twitter (HERE).

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Five prospects that need to redeem themselves in 2014

The vast majority of prospects fail. Even if a prospect is a top draft pick or a big international free agent, they are more than likely to fail. Even top 100 prospects fall on their faces, and never live up to their lofty projections.This is why some people often give up on prospects after a bad season.

The purpose of this article is to look at five prospects that performed poorly in 2013, but have enough talent to bounce-back. If these five players don't rebound next year chances are they will join the long list of failed prospects. These 5 players will be ranked by their need to rebound.

1. Austin Aune:

Aune was drafted in the second round of the 2012 draft. He was was a solid two sport athlete in high school, as he also played football. Before the draft, Aune was planning on playing shortstop and quarterback at Texas Christian University.

As a baseball player, Aune was considered to be very toolsy. He had raw power and great arm. As a football player he was a star quarterback who threw for 42 touch downs in his final season. Thus playing both sports at TCU was very appealing to him, and his commitment was thought to be tough to break. The Yankees were able to break his commitment to TCU by giving him one million dollars, which was way over-slot.

The fact that the Yankees went over-slot in a system that really punishes a team for doing so, shows that they had a lot of faith in Aune. So far Aune has not rewarded them for their risk. Aune wasn't even able to achieve an OPS of .500 last season, and struck-out 72 times. His play was surprisingly bad considering he had an OPS of .768 at same level in 2012.

To be fair when he was drafted, Baseball America did say he talented but raw and to be patient with him. But I feel that if he doesn't show progress soon he will be tempted to quit baseball and try football.  Perhaps his struggles were due to learning a new position, or an undisclosed reason. Either way it was alarmingly bad and he needs to rebound soon. 

2. Dante Bichette:

The inclusion of Bichette on this list may surprise people, as a lot of people think he has already failed as a prospect, or was a bad pick in the first place. Bichette is often cited as an example of the Yankees taking the wrong player and reaching for talent.

I feel the negativity surrounding the 21 one year old to be a bit overblown. For one thing he was the 51st selection in 2011. That might technically be in the first round, but it's not like he was high draft choice. Furthermore he is still a young player and he has time to turn his career around. With that said Bichette has a lot of work to do.

Bichette struggled in every aspect of his game in 2013, and earned this comment from Keith Law, Bischette is “a mess on both sides of the ball,”. In many ways Bichette was actually worse in his second year in the South Atlantic League. He put up a line of .210/.291/.322 (80 wRC+), with ten homeruns. While the homeruns are nice, it seemed to lead to a lot more strikeouts than he had in 2012.

Bichette really has to improve quickly as Miguel Andujar, and Eric Jagielo are both ready to take his spot on the team's organizational depth chart. At the moment it isn't even clear where Bichette will start the 2014 season, or how he will get the playing time he needs to show he is an improved player. If I had to guess, I would say he would repeat A-Ball for the third year, and move up whenever Jagielo does. This may mean splitting time with Andujar, but it would allow Anderson Feliz and Matt Snyder to play DH in Tampa.

3. Cito Culver:

Like Bichette, Culver was a first round pick. However, Culver was a much riskier pick and the Yankees reached for him. They did this because they felt he wouldn't fall to their second round pick. Most pundits hated the selection at the time, and so far Culver really hasn't proven them wrong.

Culver may have turned around his career last year, by deciding he was no longer a switch-hitter. It took some time, but the move appeared to pay off by the end of the year. While it is a tiny sample size Culver ended his season in High-A with a WRC+ of 153. But even more importantly than his hot streak in Tampa, is the fact that the Yankees chose to promote him despite his numbers not looking great.

If his offensive turnaround at the end of last season was real, he could quickly become a very good prospect. That's because he already is known as a good defensive shortstop, who can steal a decent amount of bases. If Culver even develops into a borderline top prospect the Yankees system would look much better, as they don't really have a high level shortstop prospect in the system.

4. Mark Montgomery:

Montgomery who was drafted in the 11th round in 2011 quickly rose to AAA by 2013. At this time last season Montgomery looked like he could make the majors very soon. However a season long shoulder injury hindered Montgomery's development. For the first time in his Yankee career Montgomery really struggled to put up good numbers.

Montgomery put a decent ERA last year (3.38) but his FIP was 4.00 and he walked 5.63 batters per nine innings. His walk rate in AA, a year earlier was 2.25. So his numbers were really bad for him, and hopefully were flukish.

Montgomery's  struggles were the result of reduced fastball velocity, and an increase in walks. Montgomery is really a two pitch pitcher. He has an elite slider, but his changeup isn't really a pitch he throws. That is why he needs his fastball to be good.

Hopefully, he regains that velocity now that he is healthy. Either way Montgomery is slated to begin the season in AAA, assuming he doesn't win a job during training. The Yankees have a lot of major league relief options so another poor year from Montgomery would really bury him in the depth chart.

5. Omar Luis:

Omar Luis, was one of the Yankees last big international signings before the new spending restrictions were implemented. Omar Luis initially signed for 4 million dollars, but an issue with his physical forced Luis to renegotiate his contract. Because this is his second contract with his original team Luis is officially eligible to be taken in the rule 5 draft until he is added to the 40 man roster.

This news drastically affects his stock as a prospect, as it may mean the Yankees have to push him through the system, after all he has only played in rookie ball.  The fact that he will have to move quickly, is why he is on this list. He has little room for error at this point, which is a shame because he is so inexperianced.

Fortunately, Luis seems to be moderately talented, and was ranked as one of Ben Badler's ten GCL sleepers. If Luis tones down on his walks, he might actually have a shot at developing as a Yankee, despite the aggressive approach they will have to take with him.

Honorable Mentions: Angel Rincon, Giovanny Gallegos, Chaz Hebert, Jeremy Bleich.

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Josh Sabo is a Minor League writer for Yanks Beat Blog.

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Yankees recently inquired about Ervin Santana

The Yankees were one of several teams that recently inquired about free-agent starter Ervin Santana, says Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500. Ken Rosenthal also says that Santana is finally progressing towards a deal, but another report stated that talks still have a long way to go.

According to Wolfson, the Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians are the other teams that have recently checked in with the right-hander.

However, the Dodgers might be out of the running for him after signing Paul Maholm this past weekend.

The Yankees had requested to see Santana's medical records last month, but that was as far as they have reportedly gone with in. Up to this point, Brian Cashman has said the Yankees are done making any more major moves, and seem ready to go into spring training with the current group of pitchers that have.

While Santana would be an upgrade over the current fifth starter candidates, I have not been one to push the Yankees to make this move. Yes he can be a good pitcher, but I think that you have to be cautious when looking at a pitcher that gives up as many homeruns as he does -- don't forget about Phil Hughes.

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Gavin Ewbank is the Lead Writer for Yanks Beat Blog, and you can follow him on Twitter (below).

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Spring Training position battles: Backup catcher

When the offseason began, we pretty much figured that one of the most interesting position battles in spring training would be the one for the role of starting catcher. But to the surprise of many, the Yankees signed Brian McCann, pretty much locking up that job for the next few years.

It'll still be the same players that we're watching this spring, but they'll be competing for a different role -- the backup catcher job.

The Yankees will have eight catchers coming to camp this year: McCann, Austin Romine, Francisco Cervelli, J.R. Murphy, Gary Sanchez, Peter O'Brien, Jose Gil, and Francisco Arcia.

McCann will be the starter, obviously, and it'll almost certainly be down to Cervelli, Romine, and even Murphy to win the job. It can be debated whether the Yankees could carry more than two catchers on the roster, but with the numbers of outfielders and infielders they'll have, two catchers sounds very likely.

Heading into the spring, I'm going to give Cervelli a slight edge over Romine to win the job. I've always favored Cervelli as a catcher. As much as I was hoping the Yankees would re-sign Russell Martin last winter, it was nice to see Cervelli get the chance to start when the season began.

Even though Cervelli has never been much of an offensive catcher, he has always played well behind the plate, and shows a certain kind of passion and excitement that I like to see in ball players.

Romine gives good defense, too, but has almost nothing to offer at the plate. Last season was his first full year with the Yankees, and his .209 batting average in 60 games is something that can only improve, though. The only way that he is going to win the job is if Cervelli gets hurt, or Romine hits really well, better than Cervelli.

But we still can't forget about Murphy. The Yankees like this kid a lot. He really impressed them in his short September call-up last season. The liked the way he was able to prepare for games, and handle the pitching staff. A good spring with the bat and behind the plate could also win him the job, putting him on the Opening Day roster over the two more experience catchers that he's going up against.

Keep in mind, we could also see a situation where only Cervelli and Romine are going after the backup role. There is always a possibility that the Yankees could deal Romine for a reliever, maybe, or even a starting pitcher, as some in the industry have suggested.

I'm not saying that it's bound the happen at some point, it if we see a situation where the Yankee could be looking to make a move in an attempt to fill hole at another position, Romine, or even Murphy, could be on the move.

This competition is just one of the five that we'll be previewing this week, and will also be updating you guys on how things stand between the three candidates as the spring goes on.

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Gavin Ewbank is the Lead Writer of Yanks Beat Blog, and you can follow him on Twitter (below).

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Organizational Depth: Outfielders, Part Two

Depth Below AA:

Mason Williams was arguably the Yankees' best prospect coming into the 2013 season. However, he had a shoulder injury at the end of 2012 and while he was ready at the start of last season, he really underperformed. This was in part due to being out of shape.

But it was also due to change in hitting style, as he began slashing at balls, and adopting an Ichiro Suzuki hitting style. He apparently went back to old approach during the Arizona Fall League, and while the results weren't there he reportedly looked like his old self.

Williams really needs to rebound next year because right now the only aspect of his game that scouts agree on is his plus speed, and plus defense. He is more than capable of being a good hitter, so 2014 will be a major year for him.

Mason will begin the 2014 season in AA, but fans will get to see his progress during spring training. It was only a year ago that Williams was considered a top 50 prospect, and the Yankees really need him to return to that level next year.

Williams will probably be joined in AA, by Taylor Dugas, and Ben Gamel. Dugas is an interesting player because he has such a good eye at the plate. Dugas's great eye, makes him a very good hitter, and one that might find a way to hit in the majors. However, Dugas has little else going for him, as he is only a slightly above average runner, and isn't an elite defender.

Dugas had an .799 OPS in High-A last year, so he will most probably be pushed to AA. Considering he will be 24 next season he should move past AA soon. He might not have the highest ceiling, but so far he is putting up good numbers and working his way up the ladder.

In some ways the same can be said about Ben Gamel. Gamel is similar to Dugas in the sense that he might end up as a fourth outfielder. He has a lot more power than Dugas, but he might not have enough to become a starter. He is faster than Dugas and is also a better defender so he has a better chance to become a starter.

The Yankees have always seemed to believe Gamel would hit for more power, and have always been high on him. Gamel will begin the 2014 in AA, where he will try to show that he can be more of a power hitter.

The reason it's so important for some of the above players to have a great 2014 is that the system has a pretty good outfield in Tampa. The Tampa Yankees outfield is projected to feature Aaron Judge, Ericson Leonora, and Jake Cave.

Aaron Judge was one the Yankees three first round picks last year, and while he didn't get any game time last season, it is believed he will begin the year in High-A. According to Keith Law, Judge has the ability to be a top 50 guy next season if he performs the way he should.

He truly has all-star potential, as he could develop plus power. Despite his size he isn't a bad runner and can currently handle center field. He won't bat for high average, but he could be a .260 hitter in the majors, and his on-base percentage would be a lot higher.

Judge could begin the season in A+ and would probably spend some time there, because he isn't really polished yet. Judge has more upside than the other two outfield options and will probably be the one who gets to play center.

That isn't to say Leonora and Cave aren't good options; they both were very productive last season. Leonora's strong year kind of came out of nowhere as he really struggled in the GCL last year. Leonora hit.295/.337/.347/.812 between the GCL and Sally league. This performance put him back on the prospect map.

Leonora is a good runner, who seems to have power potential and a good hit tool. His numbers in a great pitchers park suggests that he may be a true prospect. Tampa will be a good test for him, and we should soon learn whether he is more than a one year wonder.

Like Leonora, Jake Cave also kind of came out of nowhere as the former 6th round draft pick has only appeared in one game since being drafted in 2011, due to injuries. For a while it seemed like he would be the systems new Slade Heathcott, a talented player who can't stay on the field, but he put up a healthy season last year.

He really did well last season considering just how little he played over the past few seasons. Cave had a .748 OPS in a pitchers league, and in a terrible hitters park. While observers would want to see more homerun power, he did finish third in the league in doubles, and based off his age and his hitting environment, homerun power should come as he advances through the system.

The Yankees  A-Ball team outfield is also has talent, but none of their players are as proven as the guys in Tampa or above. The Charleston Riverdogs outfield will probably feature the likes of Michael O'Neill, Brandon Thomas, Daniel Lopez, and Yeicock Calderon.

All of these players were disappointing last season and may be running out of time to turn things around. Thomas, and O'Neill who were just drafted last year have the best chance to turn things and there's less urgency for those prospects to perform next season.

Brandon Thomas, was a 8th round pick last in 2013, after enduring mononucleosis in his last college season. His illness seemed to have hampered his tools in his final season and affected his performance in Low-A. His draft stock was actually higher in 2012, as the Pirates took him with their 4th round pick.

Baseball America ranked Thomas as the best athlete taken by the Yankees in 2013 draft, and he does have raw power potential. In general Thomas was supposed to have a nice combination of tools when he was drafted, but he really struggled in his debut.

Likewise O'Neill, was also abysmal in his debut, but has some nice tools. O'Neill was  the Yankees third round draft pick, and is probably best known for being Paul O'Niell's nephew. O'neill's best tool is his speed, and BA claimed he was the fastest Yankee pick. His speed will allow him to play center long term.

O'Neill also has some pop, but his lack of plate discipline may stop him from ever reaching his potential. But O'Neill was ranked relatively high before the draft so it is way too soon to give up on him, even if he struggles a bit next year. 

However Calderon and Lopez both have to breakthrough next season, as they have been stuck on the same level for a couple of seasons now.  Calderon is known for his power, but so far has shown little else in his minor league career. His big weakness is his defense and he often looks like a DH trying to play the outfield. Calderon does have good bat speed, but doesn't have the greatest approach at the plate. Calderon will be 22 next season, so he will really have to start moving through the system. Last year in A-Ball he had sub .600 OPS. 

Lopez's struggles were even worse, as he couldn't even hit his way out of the NYPL, a league that Calderon dominated. Lopez's main strength is his speed, and none of his weaknesses are as glaring as Calderon's. However he has struggled since excelling in the GCL league two seasons ago. While it was once believed that he could develop into a decent offensive weapon he really has shown very little potential in the past couple of years. 

Sleepers:

The Yankees biggest sleeper in this category is Leonardo Molina. Molina was the Yankees biggest international signing this year. Ben Badler ranked him as the 5th best international free agents. Molina has plus-plus speed, and is considered a good defender. He also has a good hit tool. Molina truly has great potential and if he makes it to the GCL next year he will be one of the youngest players there. 

2013 draftee Kendall Coleman was one of Baseball America's sleeper prospects from last years draft. BA's Conor Glassey wrote that Coleman is the type of bat teams should be patient with, and implied that Coleman has good power potential down the road. Based off his recent pics on Twitter, Coleman looks to be in good shape, and should begin the 2014 season in the GCL or NYPL.

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Josh Sabo is a Minor League writer for Yanks Beat Blog.

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